Pirates hang on to beat Braves
PITTSBURGH -- Francisco Cervelli, who signed a contract extension earlier in the day, was one of four Pirates with hits as they built a 9-0 lead then held on for a 12-9 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday night, ruining the debut of Braves interim manager Brian Snitker.
The Pirates had a season-high 21 hits in winning their third straight game with everyone in the starting lineup having at least one.
John Jaso, Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco also had three hits each. Matt Joyce, Josh Harrison and winning pitcher Juan Nicasio had two apiece.
Jaso, McCutchen and Cervelli drove in two runs. Cervelli agreed to a three-year, $31-million deal that runs through the 2019 season.
The Braves battled back under Snitker, who replaced the fired Fredi Gonzalez, but lost for the 10th time in the last 12 games to fall to 9-29, the worst mark in the major leagues. They are 20 games under .500 for the first time since 1911 when the franchise was located in Boston and known as the Rustlers.
Snitker, who has been in the organization since 1977, was managing the Triple-A Gwinnett farm club. He will remain on the job through the end of the season and the Braves will then begin a search for the skipper who will take over when they move into a new ballpark, SunTrust Park, next season in suburban Cobb County.
Gonzalez was in his sixth season on the job after taking over for Hall of Famer Bobby Cox at the start of the 2011 season.
Rookie outfielder Mallex Smith had the first two-homer game of his career for the Braves. Gordon Beckham had three hits while Ender Inciarte, Reid Brignac Nick Markakis added two each as Atlanta had 14.
Nicasio (4-3) struggled through five innings for the win, giving up five runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in five innings.
Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.
Rookie Aaron Blair (0-3) was rocked for nine runs in 1 1/3 innings.
The Pirates erupted for seven runs in the first inning as Jaso led off with a single and took third on Polanco's one-out double.
Jung Ho Kang then hit a grounder to third baseman Gordon Beckham, who threw home. However, catcher A.J. Pierzynski dropped the throw for an error, allowing Jaso to score.
RBI singles by Cerveilli, Harrison and Nicasio extended the lead to 4-0 before Jaso hit a two-run double and McCutchen capped the inning with an RBI single.
Blair was chased during a two-run second that pushed the Pirates' lead to 9-0. Polanco led off with a double and scored on a double by Cervelli, who came home on Jordy Mercer's single.
The Braves got within 9-5 with three runs in the third inning and two more in fifth.
Reliever Bud Norris led off the third with his first career triple and Smith followed with his first home run of the night. Beckham singled home the final run of the inning.
A grounder by Freddie Freeman knocked in the first run of the fifth and the second scored on a double play.
The Pirates countered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase their lead to 11-5 on an RBI single by McCutchen and a run-producing ground out by Polanco.
NOTES: Pirates C Francisco Cervelli signed a three-year, $31-million contract extension prior to the game. The 30-year-old would have become eligible for free agency at the end of this season. ... Atlanta SS Erick Aybar was not in the lineup a night after being slow to react to a pair of ground balls that eluded his reach for singles. Acquired from the Los Angeles Angles in an offseason trade for SS Andrelton Simmons and two pitching prospects, Aybar is hitting just .181 with four extra-base hits, two stolen bases, five RBIs and seven runs scored. ... Braves RHP Julio Teheran (0-4, 3.17 ERA) is scheduled to start against Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (3-2, 4.99 ERA) on Wednesday.